The ACTS hustings was a great success.  The Gathering Place was transformed into a very swish set up (due in part to those of us with what my friend J terms 'anal' tendencies - everything lined up, symmetrical and matching.  We were happy!) and just about every chair we possess set out in anticipation.  We had five candidates and a deputy for one unable to attend due to a prior family commitment.  A very diverse audience from all the churches and none came and listened to all that was said.

Overall the atmosphere was friendly and the candidates seemed able to say 'I agree' with each other when they did.  The questions gave opportunity for some important topics - electoral reform, banking, asylum (sic) and immigration and devolution - to be raised.  After the main meeting we served refreshments and a lot of people stayed to talk informally with the candidates, something that seemed to be well appreciated.

The one thing that all candidates seemed to agree on - despite some quite substantive differences - was that if elected they would do their best to represent all their constituents irrespective of race, religion or party affiliation.  Whatever our views, I felt that these six people were genuine in their desire to make a difference and that was encouraging.  Their final word was one my Dad would have approved of... get out there and vote.  I am minded to agree.

Word-count limits are the work of the devil.

I say this every year and no one in academia exorcises this demon.

I have 7674 to get down to 4000 - eight theological reflections in 500 words each.

So how about I delete alternate words and see what is left?!

And when I've done with that, a rationale for mentoring a work-based learning placement to describe and support in 2000 words... maybe someone can give me one in how to write stuff briefly.

This morning we were thinking about church membership and what it means in a Baptist context.  As part of this we noted two views on the 'believing-behaving-belonging' relationship, which I asserted were unhelpfully polarised as an 'either/or' of Modern/Postmodern worldviews.  Instead we ended up with two types of belonging, inter-related and on some sort of continuum or cycle or process.

There is the open-handed, open-hearted, fuzzy-edged belonging that says 'come and share our journey' and there is the deeper, more risky, more demanding belonging that enters a covenanted relationship to 'walk together and watch over one another in the footsteps of Christ.'  The creative tension of encouraging commitment and welcoming looser participation is part of what church is about.

And the three B's?  I have a feeling that each informs the other and that any linear model is missing the complexity of their inter-relationship.  My folk have some thoughts on this to play around with (if they so choose) so it will be interesting to say what they deduce.

A year ago today I preached for the first time at the Gathering Place.  I had not made the link until I was walking home after the morning service, perhaps as well or it might have made the theme (membership) a bit contrived.  The year has flown by and it is hard to believe I have been in the church now for seven months, give or take.

What a difference a year makes.  This time last year the weather was glorious and I was nervously meeting a church to see if it might be God's will for me to join them.  Today it was pouring with rain and I was at home among friends.  This time last year I was helping a church to cope with unrelenting losses; today we are facing many challenges but the mood is upbeat.  Last year I was exhausted; today I am tired - some things don't change so much!

It has been a busy year that has seen one heck of a lot of change for so many people... and one year on I'm very glad I am here.

Woman headteacher - tick

Woman medical consultant - tick

Woman lawyer - tick

Woman chief executive - tick

Woman minister - cross

Why is it that Christians have no problems with the first four - and even proudly tell you that they are them - but do with the last one?

I suspect we need to get our heads around the nonsense of sacred/secular divides and the mistaken view authority relates only to what happens in the holy huddle on a Sunday.

Thank God for Hopeful Baptist Churches midland and caledonian.